BEREA, Ohio -- Allegheny College received home runs from Noah Philson (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) and Ryan Cochran (Pittsburgh, Pa./Deer Lakes) on Thursday afternoon, but it wasn't enough for the Gators in a 13-7 setback at Baldwin Wallace University.

Thursday's dingers were the first of the 2026 season for the Gators (8-6). However, the Yellow Jackets (10-3) hit two home runs of their own, including a grand slam in the first inning en route to the win in their home opener at Fisher Field.

Philson hit a solo shot to double Allegheny's early lead to 2-0 in the top of the first. However, Carson Petrecca slugged a grand slam in the bottom of the first immediately following a two-out error that should have ended the inning, and Baldwin Wallace jumped ahead 4-2. After plating three runs in the second and two in the third, BWU, which received votes in the latest D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) national poll, grew its lead to 9-2.

The Gators received a boost in the top of the fourth inning. After Jake Fix (Westlake, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) walked and Nick Banez (Edmonds, Wash./Meadowdale) was hit by a pitch, Cochran smacked a three-run homer over the wall in left field. That cut the deficit down to four runs at 9-5. Cochran doubled and scored on an error in the sixth to bring Allegheny within three runs of the Yellow Jackets, but BWU added four more runs across the next three frames to protect its lead.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny scored seven runs on nine hits, which included four extra-base knocks.
• Baldwin Wallace plated 13 runs on 12 hits with six extra-base hits.
• Cochran led all Gators at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one double, one home run, three RBIs, and three runs scored.
• Philson also had a multi-hit performance, highlighted by his solo homer in the first inning.
• Zach Miner (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) reached base safely three times with one hit and two walks.
• The Gators used five different pitchers on the mound, led by Dawson Thomas (Espyville, Pa./Conneaut Area), who tossed a team-leading 2.1 innings with two strikeouts.
• Starter Owen White (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) took the loss with seven runs (three earned) allowed in 1.0-plus innings.
• BWU's Petrecca finished with only one hit but led all batters with five RBIs.
• Reliever Nolan Kellicker earned the win on the mound after giving up one run in 2.2 innings.

News and Notes

• Allegheny dropped to 8-6, while Baldwin Wallace improved to 10-3 on the season.
• Cochran and Philson both hit their first collegiate home runs on Thursday.
• Liam Irving (Olney, Md./Sherwood) extended his hit streak to 11 consecutive games and his on-base streak to 14 in a row.
• Vinny Sarcone (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) earned his first career hit as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning.

Up Next
The Gators open Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action with a doubleheader against Waynesburg University at Garbark Field on Saturday, March 21, beginning at 1 p.m.